Skin Rash All Over Dog's Body

by Casey W.
(Ferndale, WA - USA)

Our 5 yr old black lab-Raven-seems to have some sort of rash/irritation or infection on her skin. It's most notably seen under her belly.

She has always been a licker (wet couch) & occasionally scratches. We live in WA, so fleas aren't really a problem except during the 1-2 months of warm, dry(er) weather-and we use Advantage when needed.

Today (8/3/14) was the first day that we noticed redness & has become quite noticeable anywhere on her skin.

There has been no changes to her/our regular pattern- same food, same detergents, etc. It has in the last week or two been really hot for WA standards.

The only change I can think of is my father-in-law had her at his house for 10-11 days while we were on vacation (which she's done numerous times in the past) his place is pretty "woodsy" if you will & not sure if she may have come into contact with something in his house or in the woods/pond.

I think she's might be 6 months-1yr over due for her vaccinations-so wondering if that might have to do with this. I've Google searched for a few hours now and there's just so many possibilities and so much information, it's difficult to even make a few hour "google Educated" guess what this is.

I've taken a bunch of pictures & can submit more or close-ups if needed.

Let me take the time to thank you in advance for your help!

PS: We also have a 3 year old Yorkiepoo-Tuck-and he doesn't seem to have any symptoms as he was with Raven during our vacation, and they are definitely "partners in crime" so most likely they were in and around the same environment the entire stay.

Sincerely,

Casey & Family

Comments for Skin Rash All Over Dog's Body

Hi Casey,
From the photos you submitted, that appear to have only Raven's lower abdomen/belly showing, (which is where you say the 'rash' is located), I suspect that she has a skin fold dermatitis, aggravated by localized superficial pyoderma.

This means that her immune system was compromised, (stress? weather? travel?) making her susceptible to an outbreak of this rash caused by the 'normal' bacteria that is located on the skin. In areas of skin folds, any moisture can be trapped, and because it is warm, and moist, it is a perfect place for bacteria to multiply. Bacteria get into the hair follicles, cause a 'pimple' that 'pops', then the hair falls out and leaves a small red scab/pustule. This can be itchy at times, which may make the condition worse, and make it 'spread' due to bacteria in the nails and more trauma to the skin.

If she ran through poison ivy or poison oak, I would suspect your other dog would show a similar rash if they play together, and ran through it at the same time.

Conventional treatment would be a course of antibiotics, and sometimes cortisone. A more holistic approach, would include:
1. Healthy diet--see our page on 10 Best Dog Food Options, http://www.organic-pet-digest.com/10-best-dog-food-options.html. And consider feeding a RAW diet.

2. Bathing her lower abdomen one to two times per week with a mild baby shampoo, or oatmeal shampoo. Rinse and dry well. You may need to do this for 3-6 weeks to control surface bacteria and keep her clean.

3. T-Shirt-She may need to wear a white cotton T-Shirt to prevent her from causing more damage by scratching.

4. NO VACCINATIONS- a vaccination at this time would stress her immune system even more! In fact at her age she would ONLY need a rabies vaccine, every 3 or more years. And if she has any other health issues, she may need to be exempted from vaccines. You would need to seek the help of a holistic veterinarian for an exemption form.
Click here to find a holistic veterinarian in your area. Another resource for vets knowledgeable in homeopathy is AVH.org.

Give her 5-7 days to observe if she is responding. If she is worse, you should take her for a skin scraping and/or fungus culture to rule out demodex mange (which is NOT contagious) or ringworm, (a fungus, which is contagious) If it were ringworm then your other dog and all the people and other animals in the household would be showing a similar rash.

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Disclaimers: The information contained in this web site is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as nor should be relied upon as medical advice. Rather, it is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a pet owner/site visitor and his/her local veterinarian(s). Before you use any of the information provided in the site, you should seek the advice of a qualified professional.

In the spirit of full
disclosure, we wanted to let you know that we proudly support this
website through advertising and affiliate marketing. In other words,
when you click on a link that takes you outside of this website, we
often earn a small commission. These small commissions allow us to keep
the site up and running and to continue offering it completely free of
charge to you. Rest assured that all content, recommendations and
advice are created before, and are independent of, any sponsorship or
affiliate relationship. Click
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